Caturday: Miss Jenny is an artist

The fleas are dying and the kitties are much happier. We got them some Advantage and I dusted the apartment with non toxic food grade Diatomaceous Earth. It works well. We also have (thanks to a friend) a couple of flea traps set out. The nearby construction has been on hold, thank goodness. The poor kitties have been through enough.

In the midst of all this, poor Titanescu must have pulled a muscle or something. His right hind leg was hurting him to the point that he cried and limped. Titanescu doesn’t cry, so I know it was bad. Lucky for all of us, he’s already much better today.

Tito resting on a box
Tito resting on a box
Titanescu resting in a box in the window
Titanescu resting in a box in the window
Miss Jenny not resting on a box
Miss Jenny not resting on a box

Speaking of Miss Jenny… If you remember, she took up tater stealing a while back. She decided to expand her horizons.

I went to the cupboard the other morning to find this
I went to the cupboard the other morning to find this

When I went to clean up the mess, I decided to carefully pick up the shredded roll with a sheet of paper. I placed it on the table and looked at it. It was a work of art!

Miss Jenny has talent and the presentation was lovely
Miss Jenny has talent and the presentation was lovely


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Booties on parade

We went to the beach the other day, but it was a bit too windy to enjoy it much. On the way home, we took a different route than usual.  I think it’s a very humorous and lovely idea.

denim planters
I barely caught a glimpse as we went past. Lastech went around the block and stopped so I could get the pic. I had to quit giggling first though.


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Senseless Act of Beauty: Baker Beach

Wednesday was cold and grey at the beach, typical for winter in San Francisco.

Baker Beach
Winter at Baker Beach

Aside from a few people fishing and a couple of dog walkers, I was alone. To my great delight, I discovered a beautiful little splash of color. To the person who created this, I thank you..!

A perfect splash of color on a dreary day
A perfect splash of color on a dreary day

Baker Beach


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François-Auguste-René Rodin, November 12,1840

Known for the elemental nature of his works, Auguste Rodin, the French sculptor perhaps most famous for The Thinker, was born on November 12, 1840. A bronze cast of The Thinker graces the entrance to the Legion of Honor in San Francisco.

The Thinker
The Thinker at the entrance to The Legion of Honor in San Francisco

Inside the museum, there is a large collection of Rodin sculptures.

Legion of Honor in San Francisco
Legion of Honor in San Francisco

Please forgive the blue cast in the photos. I was using a camera without flash that couldn’t catch the true colors. The sculptures are truly beautiful.

Victor Hugo by Rodin
Victor Hugo looks fierce as he struggles to emerge from the stone.
Alsacienne girl by Rodin
Alsacienne girl by Rodin


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Bernal Hill Butterfly Art

No, there is no butterfly in the photo. However, like a butterfly, this little bit of artistry is fleeting. We went off to Bernalwood for a walk around the hill and I found this on a post next to the North parking area. I consider myself lucky to have seen it as the winds are brutal and it has probably blown away by now.

art

This isn’t the first time we have found what I refer to as Butterfly Art. It has taught us to really see what is around us rather than just taking things for granted.


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Cats as Art or… Still Life With Cats

Cats have appeared in art throughout the ages. The ancient Egyptians had statues and paintings depicting cats. They even mummified their cats so as to have them by their side in the afterlife. These days, cats as art has been taken to a new level. Rather than statues or paintings, the living cat(s) have become the art. I hope you enjoy Still Life With Cats.

cat as art

Still life with cats and apples.

Still life with kumquats and cats.

Still life with radishes and cats


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Musical archeology: where the switchblade came from…

Made you look. Okay, what was with the switchblade waved by Julien Doré in his video “les limites” posted here previously.

Glad you asked, because thanks to some hardcore detective work (okay: reading comments on youtube), we knew the video was inspired by an old Serge Gainsbourg song, back when they were called ‘clips’. Question was: which one? After hours of research fueled by coffee and aspirin, we found it in Gainsbourg’s song “les yé-yés”.

More can be found about the yé-yés here.

Now, Gainsbourg was always a better songwriter than singer and had a hit in 1965 with “laisse tomber les filles” sung by France Gall, then 17. This song might sound familiar as Quentin Tarantino used it in “Kill Bill”:

Now you know. Let’s bask again in a bit of retro-cool with another version of Doré’s song: it’s got dogs, a rooster, a pony!


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Twofer Tuesday and More Sculpture Fun

I’m guilty of going off on tangents. Yesterday, in Manic Monday, I featured artist Janet Echelman. That led me to find a couple of other bits of art and artists worth mentioning.

The first is a bit of kinetic sculpture by Theo Jansen. He has designed sculptures in the shape of bizarre animals that can walk by way of wind power.

According to Wikipedia:

Theo Jansen has been creating wind-walking examples of artificial life since 1990. What was at first a rudimentary breed has slowly evolved into a generation of machines that are able to react to their environment: “over time, these skeletons have become increasingly better at surviving the elements such as storms and water, and eventually I want to put these animals out in herds on the beaches, so they will live their own lives.”

Constructed as intricate assemblages of piping, wood, and wing-like sails, Jansen’s creatures are constantly evolving and have become excellently adapted to their sandy beach environment. The creatures sport legs, which “prove to be more efficient on sand than wheels…they don’t need to touch every inch of the ground along the way, as a wheel has to”.

Standbeast by Theo Jansen
Standbeast by Theo Jansen

The other fascinating sculpture I found was the Singing Ringing Tree in Burnley, England. The sculpture was designed by architects Mike Tonkin and Anna Liu of Tonkin Liu.

The Singing Ringing Tree. Photo by Ian Taylor at www.geograph.org.uk


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Manic Monday with Sculpture

I usually post a bit of humor on Mondays to start the week. Instead, I’m posting a bit of art. I was off surfing the videos at TED, when I came across a talk by sculptor Janet Echelman.  Her work is beautiful and her talk is inspiring.

1.26 by Janet Echelman
1.26 by Janet Echelman
Every Beating Second by Janet Echelman
Every Beating Second by Janet Echelman
Her Secret is Patience by Janet Echelman
Her Secret is Patience by Janet Echelman


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Manic Monday with Math and Geometry in Nature and Music

As another manic Monday rolls around, I felt that a bit of beauty was in order.

Math and geometry can be found throughout nature.  Music and math also have a very close relationship.  Here are a few video examples for your viewing pleasure.

The first video is a compilation of toroidal vortices. A smoke ring is an example of a toroidal vortex.  This video shows other examples.

This video shows the relationship between math and nature. No, it’s not boring. 🙂 It’s beautiful.

Ah, math and music. It’s a wonderful combination

No math or geometry. It’s just a wee bit of nature’s drama.

drama


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